Monday, September 9, 2013

Diabetes
and Blood Pressure are diseases that do not afford you much latitude in terms
of diet and medication; any negligence of either or both is fraught with
serious consequences. Since late 2010 I have been on medication for a host of
ailments and the 9 tablets had to be taken without fail so as not to upset the
medical balance that had been stretched thin over many years of wanton use of
the body and its capabilities. Ummachan suggested a trip to the Bishop
Kurialasserry Nature Cure and Yoga Centre at Idayirikkapuzha, near
Changanacherry/Kottayam, Kerala. He had benefited from the ‘treatment’ there a
few months back for a bad back; in the process he had also shed a few unwanted
‘bags’ around his waist. When I got back from the Coast-to-Coast and East-West
drives in early February Ummachan asked me if he could book us both in for 6
days into the Centre in March. I agreed to be ‘billetted’ in the Centre for a
week in early March and accordingly I reached the Center late on 3rd
March. Dr. Sr. Jyothi, the Doctor in charge of the Centre, reviewed my
condition late in the night and suggested that I undergo a 15 day course at the
Centre. An inner voice got me to agree to the suggestion and I was scheduled
for a 15 day treatment course. Since that morning I had also stopped the
medicines I had been having for Diabetes, BP and Reflux. I mentioned this to
the Doctor, who was more in favor of it being gradually tapered; I went ahead
for the drastic action, nevertheless. Ummachan and I settled comfortably into
the spacious double room, which had an attached bathroom and toilet. A couple
of youngsters from Cochin had ‘checked in’ too – they were hilarious company
throughout the stay and became good friends too. The ‘dinner’ on 3rd,
when the treatment had not officially begun, set the tone for the rest of the stay
at the Centre. We were expected to have only drinking water from the mud pot in
the room. Dinner consisted to a few table spoons of thick porridge accompanied
by specks of ‘thoran’. When I ‘encountered’ the dinner I knew that I would
either collapse in the Centre or go back in ship shape; what happened over the
next fortnight was nothing short of a miracle, as far as I was concerned. In
the first four days I dropped 7 kgs and felt fitter. Within the week the Blood
Sugar readings showed normal and so did the BP. I did not have any problem with
my digestion and the Reflux issues were nightmares of the past. Within another
week my shape changed and I sensed as if a sculptor had worked on my body. The
look of 32 weeks of pregnancy vanished – I could look forward to taking my
expectant daughter to the hospital without being asked who the patient is! The
treatment at the Centre starts with Yoga early in the morning, a brisk walk for
an hour thereafter, physiotherapy sessions, mud packs, a vigorous 60 minute massage,
a steam or mud bath and many glasses of nutritious drinks made of gooseberry,
watermelon, papaya, lime, ash gourd, etc. I discovered that a glass of Ash
Gourd juice is a recipe for all round health and a panacea for Reflux. Solid
food and salad were limited, but extremely tasty and nutritious. The 15 day
stay also gave me an opportunity to hear mass daily at the local church and be
part of the evening prayers in the chapel at the Centre. The three Sisters at
the Centre were great company and it turned out that the Mother Superior, Sr.
Modesta, had taught in Nirmala Bhavan and was my sister’s class teacher, where
I had studied for a couple of years too. All in all, the experience brought
about a life style change in me and I wished to continue with it. Most
importantly, I considered the experience His gift, for I was completely rid of
my physical problems and I had become more active. This change helped me
considerably in setting the new record for the Golden Quadrilateral Expedition.
I did not feel tired or soporific during the entire drive and it was only on
account of the changed physical condition. It helped me go on for long hours –
in fact on the first day of the drive I drove continuously for more than 22
hours and stopped only because I thought that the car deserved a rest!

Therefore,
the aches and pains during the drive were limited to just that of the lower
body due to long hours of squatting. At the conclusion of the drive the legs
felt leaden and were swollen. In fact, when I met Ajay, Anita and Joe at
Millers46 for dinner my legs almost gave way. I could not balance properly. Early
on the fourth day of the drive I fell to the ground when I got out of the car
to relieve myself. The legs could only react to vibrating pedals – I could feel
the throb even when the engine was cut. The swelling vanished after a night in
bed. Most importantly, the sense of achievement pales into the background every
discomfort. After the expedition the biggest discomfort was the pain in the
rectum. The many hours of sitting behind the wheel must have generated so much
of heat that the sight of a toilet or the urge to do the big job was mentally
searing. Food which consisted mainly of dry fruits and nuts must have added to
the ‘internal combustion’. I did not have cooked meals during the entire
duration of the drive.

The
wonderful meal at Millers, the excellent company of Anita, Joe and Ajay, the
tremendous sense of fulfillment, the ‘gift’ of Peated Amrut Single Malt by
Anita and Joe; all sealed the action packed four days. The planning had paid
off yet again and another record was in the bag.

“Like all great travelers, I have seen more than I
remember, and remember more than I see.” Benjamin Disraeli

I
mentioned in the earlier part of this essay that I had genuine apprehensions
about how the Swift would measure up against the need to be extremely swift to
beat the challenging existing record. Her performance during the tough drive
made me feel guilty about having harbored any misgivings about her capability.
Not only was she ever ready to go the extra mile whenever required but also
remained absolutely trouble free throughout the trip. Had it not been for the
fatigue that crept over me in the latter part of the drive the Swift would have
helped me conclude the drive earlier than I finally did.

Prior
to the drive I had not pushed the Swift to her limits of speed. However, during
the GQ drive I had to, for time was in short supply. While saying this I
clarify that driving to set records is not just all about driving fast, it is
about driving responsibly fast. Therefore, a critical element of this ‘road’
philosophy is that you respect the road and the condition of it as it exists.
Many times you find drivers haring down absolutely bad stretches of road in
total disregard of the road condition. Often it leads to either grief for
themselves or for other road users. Safe and sensible driving also ensures that
the car remains trouble free. The Swift remained a beauty on the 100-120 kmph
bandwidth; when pushed over I detected possible resistance and slight, ever so
slight but discernible, wobbling. For the first time I coaxed her to 160 kmph,
albeit over a short and straight stretch and found her holding her own against
some other fancy co-users on that stretch, including a BMW.

One
of the main positives of the Swift is its mileage. On long distance drives it
normally gives me over 19 kilometers to a litre. I was not so sure if the fast
jaunt on the GQ would afford me such enhanced mileage. The ‘over speed’ would
burn up more fuel than normal and give me considerably lesser mileage, I
envisaged. Therefore, I was pleasantly surprised that the 80.5 hours on the
road for the 5846 kilometer returned more than 18 kilometers to the litre. And,
it was despite skipping a major service. The excellent mileage saved me some
hard earned sponsorship.

“It is
not fit that every man should travel; it makes a wise man better, and a fool
worse.” William
Hazlitt

I
had marked a place on the Tumkur highway as the start point of ‘Mission
Impossible’. I checked out just after 3 am and got the first entry done on the
log sheet. It was 3.35 am on 8th June 2013 when I set out from the
start point. Every minute would be crucial and hence, there was no time to give
away. The check points en route are laid down by LBR – that sets the route too.
Traffic at that time of the day was sparse and the Bangalore to Satara distance
of 720 kms was done in 7 hours and a half at an average speed of 93 kms, which
turned out to be the best sector in the entire drive. In many ways this
momentum set the tone for the entire expedition. Even though the road condition
from Satara to Pune is good, I lost a lot of time due to congestion on the
approach to and exit of the tunnel on the Khambatki ghat section. I came to
know later that I escaped the worst as it got progressively worse as the day
wore on. Pune passed by just before 1 pm and I got on to the Pune Mumbai
Expressway. I drove through Panvel in less than 75 minutes from Pune. My
cousin, George, had given me the exact location to get off the Expressway and
move via Navi Mumbai into Mumbai ‘area’. It was tricky navigating from NH7 to
NH8 via NH3. It was a cakewalk this time for George was at hand to pilot me
expertly through the burgeoning traffic – it was he who had suggested that I
should try and get through Mumbai before 6 pm. George’s friend, Binson, as well
as George’s family waited on the Godhbandar Road at a pre-appointed location.
No time was wasted in the certification and family talk. In less than 45
minutes Mumbai was behind me – I passed through Manor at 4.15 pm, completing
the first 1000 kms of the expedition in less than 13 hours. At the time of
framing the first day schedule I had targeted Ahmedabad as the last check point
for the day. When I drove through Surat at 6.30 pm and Vadodara at 8.30 pm I
decided to stretch the day. The body and mind was in good condition too. The
Vadodara-Ahmedabad Expressway is a flier and that added to the motivation.
Ahmedabad was bypassed at 9.45 pm and I set my sights for Udaipur. The Navfree
Application helped me get in and out of major cities efficiently. I bypassed
Udaipur just after 1 am. By 1.30 am I stopped at a fuel station en route to
Chittorgarh to tank up – 1750 kms in 22 hours; a wonderful start to the
expedition. I requested permission from the personnel at the fuel station to
park and rest for a while. They showed me a location which I could utilize. It
was not that the body and mind had tired; I was more concerned for the car as
she had been revving for nearly 22 hours at a stretch.

The
rest proved to be restive; I twisted and turned for more than an hour and
decided that I was wasting time. After use of the toilet at the station I wiped
myself down with wet wipes and changed into fresh clothes. I felt energized and
refreshed. Short of 4 pm I started on the second day of the expedition. Since I
had added over 250 kms to the target of the first day I was confident of
reaching Varanasi by the end of day 2. It went pretty much to schedule;
Chittorgarh at 5 am, Jaipur nearing 8.30 am, Gurgaon at noon, Delhi at a half
past, Agra just before 4 pm ( I missed the new Noida-Agra Expressway), Etawah
at 4.30 pm, Kanpur at 7.30 pm and Allahabad at 10.15 pm brought me on the
Varanasi bypass just after midnight. This meant that I had covered nearly 1500
kms in 21.5 hours. The halfway mark of the expedition was crossed between
Kanpur and Allahabad. Close to the Bihar border I decided to take a break; it
was nearly 2 am. I found another friendly fuel station and rested for slightly
over an hour. By now, the legs were getting a bit groggy due to the constant squat.
I had been liberally dipping into the food supplies and keeping myself properly
hydrated. The legs felt leaden when I got down from the car for the bio breaks,
which were also stretched as much as possible to get more ‘productive’ time
behind the wheel.

A
couple of hours I managed to rest before wiping down and changed into a fresh
set of clothes. Barely had I driven 15 minutes and I experienced the first of
the many near misses I had from then on; this was the scariest of them all. I
was merrily speeding on the NH2 with the intention of being through Kolkata
before noon. It was pitch dark and there were no vehicles on the road. Then a
row of trucks seemed to be parked on both sides of the road, which I found
strange. I observed this without any let up on the pedal, almost fatally. On
instinct I switched to high beam and panicked – a tanker truck was stationary
in my path just about 50 meters ahead and I was ‘cruising’ at over 100 kmph. I
virtually stood on the brake and felt the car losing steam, but only gradually.
I released the brake and slammed it with all my might once again. I could not
swerve either right or left as heavy vehicles were parked all along. The car
came to a stop just a nano-millimeter short of the tanker. I sat in the car for
a couple of minutes to give thanks to Him and to Our Lady who saved me from
sure death. As I inched forward behind the tanker I realized that it was the
congestion at Naubatpur border post. It seemed that the day was reserved for
such experiences. Another close call happened near Balasore when a youngster on
a bike decided to cut across the width of the highway to ‘chat’ with his
friends on another bike! Even though I had the brakes under control I missed
the biker by the narrowest whisker. He apologized profusely but may not have
appreciated how close he was to meeting his Maker. There were many more
incidents, but of a less threatening nature all through the drive. While the
nation invests heavily in hardware – namely, roads – there is hardly any effort
to educate and refocus the road user – namely, on the software. The poor road
use and inadequate road infrastructure is a lethal combination. It is hardly
ever that accidents are caused by speed alone. It is always in combination with
either poorly maintained road infrastructure or negligent use of the
infrastructure. To my mind, NHAI and the Ministry should spend more effort and
funds on education and enforcement. But, education first – education should
start with a revamp of the process of getting a license to maintenance of
proper infrastructure to deterrence of poor road use. No one should be above
the standards set by the State. We talk of inclusive growth, but, sadly, this
does not apply to enforcement of road rules and tolls – the creamy layer feels
that it is below their dignity to submit to the rule of law.

Via
Asansol and Burdhaman I reached the Vidyasagar Sethu almost a half hour to
noon. The heavens opened up as I was nearing Kolkata. The downpour was so heavy
that vehicles were soon stranded along the way. Even the bridge had its fair
share of water logging. I cut across from Howrah to Kolkata using the Sethu
bridge and returned to hit the route to the last metro city on the GQ route.
Just out of the Kona Expressway there was a traffic diversion that caused me
time getting to Balasore. However, by 6 pm I was in sight of Bhubaneswar. I
crossed from Orissa to Andhra Pradesh at Ichchapuram by 9.15 pm. The NH5 turned
out to be the best among all I had traversed during the expedition.

As
I was nearing Srikakulam, Thulasi Ram Nair, my friend, contacted me to know my
progress and to assess when I would get to Visakhapatnam. I had planned to drop
in at his place to freshen up and catch the proverbial forty winks before hitting
the highway for the last stretch. However, after the call I stopped for a bio
break and felt extremely tired. I thought that a power nap was in order.
Fatigue made the break last beyond a short power nap – I slept for almost 90
minutes and felt terribly guilty for I was keeping a family waiting for me. I
washed my face and stepped on the gas. Thulasi and his family met me almost 50
kms short of Visakhapatnam at the toll gate. I followed them to their flat,
which was just a short distance off the highway. Thulasi insisted that I should
have a bath. I was vary for I knew that it would relax me further and make me
sleepy. In the end I decided on a proper bath and set out with food
replenishments and a few cans of Red Bull.

Out
on the highway I consumed a can of Red Bull to make sure that any mental demand
to pull up for a nap would be subsumed. That’s not exactly what happened. I got
into Tuni at about 3.45 am and felt an overwhelming need to nap again. I pulled
up near a small tea shop and set the alarm to wake up in 20 minutes. I woke up
90 minutes later! I panicked. I had unnecessarily put pressure on the last lap.
After that the driving assumed maniacal proportions. I refused to brook any
opposition on the road – I had a highly satisfying ‘race’ with an energetic
BMW. But, my Swift turned out to be swifter and I ‘beat’ the BMW in the end. It
also saved me a lot of time, for the BMW virtually became my pace setter. I
bypassed Chennai by half past 2 pm. On the way I had whizzed past Vijayawada,
Guntur, Ongole, Nellore and Gudur.

I
had just another 330 kms to complete the expedition. To do so with a new record
timing I had to get to Bangalore before 3.35 am. Theoretically, that was plenty
of time. As I always feel close to an achievement, I started thinking of all
that could go wrong to rob me of my just desserts. I turned on the music loud
to drown the negative voices that were bleating in my brain. I bypassed
Krishnagiri at 6.40 pm after coursing through Kanchipuram and Walajahpet. I was
just 80 kms short of Electronics City, Bangalore. Adrenaline was pitching and
elation mixed with pride of achievement started its journey through the nervous
system.

I
got across Attibele, the border post to Karnataka and drove into the
Electronics City by 7.50 pm on 11th June 2013. The expedition was
over and the existing record had been handsomely effaced by 8%. I had completed
the Golden Quadrilateral Expedition in a new timing of 88 hours and 30 minutes,
counting from start to finish. Some of the highlights to the expedition are:

The
sun rose in its usual sunny way on the 6th of June – finally it was
time for me to get going. Satheesh, my brother, Eapen and Gopi (my friends)
came in time to ‘flag off’ the Champion (car) at 7.45 am from Alfa Serene, my
dwelling in Cochin. I had an important appointment in Bangalore – it was
Anita’s birthday. In advance we had decided to meet over dinner. That was the
only urgency to make haste to Bangalore. Otherwise, it was a leisurely drive
and I was most relaxed behind the wheel. The road, as usual, was bad and
indifferent between Trichur and Coimbatore – the Tamil Nadu portion because of
the on-going capacity augmentation works, which is acceptable. The stretch
between Mannuthy and Wadakkancherry is in perennially bad shape. Some time one
wonders if the roads are bituminized to ensure that it comes off faster than it
takes to put it in place! And, the strangest part of road resurfacing is that
most of the work is done just prior to the monsoon rains; in most cases, the
work is left unfinished as the rains set in. to top it all, despite the poor
condition of the road nobody steps in to stop the realization of tolls. There are
innumerable Public Interest Litigation cases these days, but none seem to have
addressed this ‘extortionist’ activity.

As
I was nearing Bangalore Anita rang up to say that we would meet at her place
for the ‘birthday celebration’. She said that her brothers, George and Shaji,
would be there too. Arrangements had been made for my stay in the Railway
Officers’ Rest House on the 6th. As I was settling in Ajay came to
the ORH. After a brief rest and a wash we set out for Anita’s house on
Sarjapura Road. The Navfree App helped us get there without too many glitches;
rush hour traffic certainly delayed us. By the time we reached there everyone
had settled down with there choice of beverage and short eats – there were
Single Malts and other beverages to choose from. The star of the collection was
the Single Malt from the Amrut stable – it has been adjudged one of the finest
in the world by connoisseurs of spirit and alcohol. The short eats were
delicious, particularly the kebabs, pork jerky and sausages. Conversation
centered on the GQ drive and the captains of industry and business. The verbal
fact sheets on Indian and Global business leaders provided by George, Joe and
Shaji were illuminating, to say the least. The dining table was stretched to
capacity with vegetarian and non-vegetarian items ranging from prawns to
chicken and much more. I could barely stand to sing the ‘Happy Birthday To You’
song for Anita with all the ingested food. And then the rich cakes followed. By
this time I was ‘high’ not from the alcohol, but all the calories. All the
restraint I had placed on the diet since my fortnight stay at the Nature Cure
Centre vanished in a trice. The party broke up shortly thereafter and Ajay and
I headed back to the ORH for a good night’s sleep. Fortunately the road was
freer at that time of the night and we got back to the ORH faster than we had
got to Anita’s house.

After
the usual breakfast of idlis and vada at the Sree Krishna Café the next morning,
Ajay left for his hostel. I was to meet the owner of an educational institution
in Bangalore to explore the possibility of a professional engagement. Despite
considerable traffic hassles I reached the appointed venue ahead of the hour
decided on. I waited and waited (was told that the person was with his Doctor).
After a while he walked in and was told by his Secretary that I had been
waiting for some time. Through the Secretary I was informed that I would have
to wait some more to meet with him. I have a fetish for time and it infuriates
me when appointed times are not kept. I expect that we respect each other’s
time. It is a matter of discipline and dignity of the individual. I walked out
after informing the Secretary that I have no time further for people who cannot
meet their scheduled meetings. I considered that as an opportunity to assess
the environment. I refused to take the person’s calls any more.

After
that unpleasant exchange I decided to check into the hotel in Yeshwantapur,
which had been reserved for me. It was a couple of kilometers off the Tumkur highway,
within the Bangalore Municipal Corporation limits. The only disadvantage of the
location was a railway level crossing gate between the highway and the hotel. I
mentally noted that in case it is closed in the morning when I set out it would
add to the overall time of the drive. The hotel was very basic in its setout
and aesthetics. I had to change two rooms before I found one to my
satisfaction. I decided to relax for the rest of the evening and turn in early.
I even skipped dinner. I suspect that I was the only occupant of the hotel, for
I did not meet anyone else during the 12 hours I was there. Fortunately, I was
able to get the car washed by the hotel staff. She looked gleaming and ready
after the thorough cleaning. I arranged luggage appropriately inside the car –
the food basket, with items in familiar places, was strapped to the front
passenger seat, bottles of water within easy reach on the left hand side
footrest, camera on the seat, the video recorder and the mobile phone on the
windshield, face towel on the hand rest, money for tolls in the appointed slot,
an overnighter with change of clothes just behind the driver seat, the log
sheets on the passenger seat, the rest of the luggage compactly arranged in the
boot and a picture of Our Lady within handholding distance of the steering
wheel. I went over the arrangement at least 10 times – for I could not waste
any time to stop en route to get any of my requirements, be it food or prayer.
Finally, by 7 pm I thought I was ready. I was mentally and physically ready for
the arduous 96 hours that lay ahead of me from the next day.

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About Me

I believe that a smile will help you through the most trying circumstances, for one smile begets another. The journey of my life has been exciting, fulfilling and thoroughly enjoyable. I have got more out of my life than I have deserved and hence, am contended and grateful. I consider it fortunate to have had the most wonderful parents, grandparents and teachers to groom me during the early years. I have a great family consisting of my wife (Beena), my daughter (Maya), her husband (Kiron), their children, Eva and Aaron, and my son (Ajay). My brother (Satheesh) and his family in Cochin as also my sister (Geetha) and her family in the USA are the feathers in my nest.